The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely

SynopsisA new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power...

Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love...Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret.

Trey...

With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore down my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She's the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she's back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don't know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she's the closest I've ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.

How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?

ReviewLoved it! Harley is such a unique character but also has
aspects that everyone will be able to relate to. Despite the fact that I pretty
much haven’t gone through any of the things she has, I connected to her really
well. She has this inner strength that is actually partially the reason why she
has ended up as high end call girl (who has also never had sex). Where other
people would have crumbled Harley took somewhat drastic measures to be in
control of her life.

Trey is a great hero, sexy and very supportive of Harley but
also realistically flawed. With their issues they should be a complete mess but
they are perfect for one another, like two shattered pieces of a mirror but
then together they are whole. I loved that they started off as friends, fellow addicts
who supported and confided in one another when there was no one else to help
and support them. It was a refreshing change to the hate at first sight which
then becomes love that is common in NA at the moment. It was nice to read a friends
to lovers story for once, especially one that was so well executed.

This book has several characters that you will love to hate;
I really want to slap some sense into Harley’s mother! This was the first book
in a series so I’m hoping that now the main characters have come to terms with
their issues and even confronted their dysfunctional parents, that in future
books that conflict will be resolved. Though in all honesty I’m happy enough
with “I may be a bit screwed up but it is all your fault”.

I loved that Lauren managed to write a book about a virgin
call girl without it ever coming across as either virgin or slut shaming. This
book also tackled difficult issues such as addiction (though not a typical
addiction) and blackmail and did it brilliantly. The Thrill of It is dark,
gritty and emotional and just has that certain special something that many
books lack.

My only issue with this book was as follows. Harley is being
blackmailed into writing a tell all story of what she did as a call girl with
the threat of this person telling Harley’s mother what she did. Yet for some
reason Harley is INCLUDING THINGS HER MOTHER WILL RECOGNISE if she ever reads
it. If you are that desperate to hide the truth from your mother don’t detail
all the sordid details in a book that will be obvious to your mother it was
written by you.

This book is 100% worth reading. The Thrill of It stands out
in the currently vast sea of New Adult novels as an exciting, emotional, sexy and
unique read.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest
review, this has not affected my opinion or rating in any way.*

About the Author

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He's Mine, Playing With Her Heart, Trophy Husband, and Far Too Tempting. On November 21, she'll release the edgy new adult novel THETHRILLOFIT. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.